Many truck drivers make careless moves on the road. Although not all of these negligent acts by truckers cause accidents, many do. For example, changing lanes—when not done right—can pose a danger to those in smaller vehicles. This is because truck drivers have large blind spots that can actually hide small passenger cars, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, and motorcycles.

How Do Truck Accidents Happen?

Because serious accidents and injuries can occur when large commercial trucks change lanes incorrectly, truck drivers need to be very careful and aware of their surroundings before making any type of lane change. However, many truckers don’t maneuver their trucks carefully when switching lanes. Truck accidents often happen because truck drivers fail to do the following two things:

Use signal lights. Because truck drivers are travelling hundreds of miles at a time, they can easily become dazed and zone out. When this happens, they lose focus on anyone else sharing the road with them. Consequently, when they change lanes, they may forget to turn on their signals to notify other drivers of their intentions. As a result of failing to use their signals, they may sideswipe a vehicle in the next lane.

Check blind spots. Blind spots are areas around the truck that truckers have a difficult time seeing with their mirrors. Although there are blind spots around the sides, front, and back of a truck, truck drivers are trained to know how to check their blind spots in order to avoid causing crashes and injuries. This requires more than one simple glance in the mirror. Because trucks have large blind spots due to their length, truckers have a duty to double check their mirrors before moving over into another lane.

When truck drivers fail to check their blind spots or fail to use their signal lights, they have failed to drive safely. Therefore, they need to be held accountable for their careless actions. If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident due to a negligent truck driver, you may have a legal claim against the truck driver and trucking company; however, truckers and their trucking companies will often attempt to blame other drivers for driving in a truck’s blind spot.

Virginia Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help

This is why it is critical to your case to have a seasoned lawyer on your side. An accident injury attorney may be able to prove that the truck driver was poorly trained, distracted, or impaired at the time of the accident. To discuss your potential legal options, please call us at (703) 591-0067 for a free consultation today. We understand the devastating consequences of a truck accident, and we want to help you seek justice and just compensation.